Carr wins most delegate votes here

MURFREESBORO — Ted Cruz may have been runner-up in Rutherford County's Republican presidential primary Tuesday, but two of his possible national convention delegates placed first and second in votes here.

"He's a constitutional conservative," said Joe Carr, a former state representative who won the most votes in the county as a Cruz delegate in the state-wide at-large category with 8,574.

Cruz delegate Steve Gill was second here with 8,439 votes, and Donald Trump delegate Mae Beavers, a state senator from Mt. Juliet, was third with 8,310 votes in Rutherford County.

Trump finished first in the county with 35.87 percent of the vote in the primary that set a turnout record of 51,399, according to the Rutherford County Election Commission. Cruz, a U.S. senator from Texas, was runner up with 29.78 percent of the GOP vote, and Marco Rubio, a U.S. senator from Florida, placed third with 20 percent of the vote.

Trump, Cruz and Rubio each attained the required 20 percent of the vote in the Tennessee primary to earn a proportion of the state's 58 GOP delegates that will vote on their party's presidential nominee at the 2016 Republican National Convention July 18-21 in Cleveland, Ohio.

The exact delegate numbers for each GOP presidential candidate, as well as their delegates who earned the most votes to qualify for the national convention, will be determined after all of the election results are determined, said Brent Leatherwood, the executive director of the Tennessee Republican Party.

The Tennessee Democratic Party does not include delegate races in the primary but holds caucuses to select the delegates. The Rutherford County Democratic Party will begin a caucus process at a convention to choose delegates for the national convention at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Stones River Baptist Church, 2315 Joe B Jackson Parkway in Murfreesboro, The 2016 Democratic National Convention will be July 25-28 in Philadelphia.

Hillary Clinton won the most votes in the Democratic primary in Rutherford County with 57.14 percent, and Bernie Sanders had 41.7 percent.

Carr expects to be going to his second national convention after serving as a delegate for Newt Gingrich in 2012. The former Tennessee legislator said that he'll be obligated by state law to support Cruz in the first two ballots at the national convention.

Carr further noted that chances for a brokered or contested convention to choose the GOP nominee for president are stronger this year than they have been in recent decades.

"I will seek to do what's best for the state of Tennessee and our republic with regards to the most conservative and constitutionally sound candidate available," said Carr, who noted that Gingrich in the 2012 released committed delegates after Mitt Romney had secured the required delegates prior to the national GOP convention.

This year's Republican convention requires 1,237 to win the nomination.

Carr said his unsuccessful but competitive GOP primary against U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander in 2014 was a harbinger of what is happening this year with most Republican voters choosing Trump and Cruz over others.

"You are seeing a rebellion on the part of grass-roots conservatives against establishment GOP leadership," said Carr, who resides in Rutherford County's Lascassas community northeast of Murfreesboro. "These are outsiders, and they are saying no more to the GOP establishment of campaigning on conservative values and then going to Washington and governing with the liberal progressive Democrats."

One of the key issues has been immigration, and Trump and Cruz have been strong in their opposition to amnesty for 20 million people who came into the country illegally, Carr said.

"Donald Trump launched his campaign on building a wall, closing the border and sending illegal immigrants back to where they came from," said Carr, adding that Trump is appealing to independents and Democrats with his message on immigration.

Carr said preventing illegal immigration was a top issue for him through his six years of serving in the Tennessee House of Representatives.

"Cruz did the same," Carr said. "He has fought and fought on this issue. This is an American issue. Who is looking out for the Constitution, the American worker and the rule of law?"

Carr said he'll be going to the national GOP convention after placing fourth statewide, "which is very humbling" with 148,617 votes, to three Trump delegates.

Delegates from congressional districts

Other Cruz, Trump and Rubio delegates will go to the GOP convention by winning the most votes from Tennessee's congressional districts.

Those running for the 4th Congressional District delegate seats included Edward Phillips. He won the most votes in Rutherford County as a Cruz delegate with 7,209, but Edwards said he came up short in district-wide votes needed to be a delegate.

"We had a great slate of candidates who ran for Sen. Cruz," said Phillips, who is the husband of former Rutherford County Commissioner Tiffany Phillips. "Cruz is a proven conservative. He has a record we can focus on and look at. That’s what we need is a proven conservative who will fight for us in Washington."

In the district category, Cruz delegates Katherine Hudgins was runner up in Rutherford County with 7,173 votes, and Lynne Davis was third with 6,301.

Davis said that Cruz aligns with her values.

"He has the character that aligns more with myself," said Davis, a real estate professional and 17-year home-school mother. "I am honored to support him. The two things that are the most important to me are the Constitution and the character of the person."

Contact Scott Broden at 615-278-5158. Follow him on Twitter @ScottBroden.

Delegate votes

The following list shows the top five Republican delegates earning votes in the at-large state-wide category in Rutherford County:

Joe Carr, as a Ted Cruz delegate: 8,574

Steve Gill, as a Cruz delegate: 8,439

Mae Beavers, as a Donald Trump delegate: 8,310

Lee Douglas, as a Cruz delegate: 7,274

Judd Matheny, as a Cruz delegate: 7,065

The following list shows the top five Republican delegates in the Congressional District 4 category in Rutherford County

Edward Phillips, Ted Cruz delegage: 7,209

Katherine Hudgins, Cruze delegate: 7,173

Lynne Davis, Cruz delegate: 6,301

Larry Sims, Donald Trump delegate: 6,017

Lou Ann Zelenik, Trump delegate: 5,526

Source: Rutherford County Election Commission

Election dates

Early voting for Rutherford County and Murfreesboro elections, and federal and state primaries: July 15-30

Election day for Rutherford County and Murfreesboro offices, and federal and state primaries: Aug. 4

Deadline to register to vote for Rutherford County and Murfreesboro offices, and federal and state primaries: July 5